The Reluctant Hero
by Daily Bliss
Summary: Everyone keeps calling him a hero, saying that he has a great destiny to fulfill. But heroism doesn't come so easily to this new incarnation of the goddesses chosen one. Based on the short trailer we had for the new WiiU Zelda and some headcanons floating around on the interwebs.
1. Chapter 1

The sun had fully risen over this lush land. The young man pulled his horses reins to get her to stop as her took in this new world that lay out before him. Growing up in an endless sea of sand did hold a sense of beauty, but this was unlike anything he'd ever seen. Tall green grass blanketed the ground with a clear blue pond rested beside trees taller than any plant the young man had seen. Glorious mountain's dotted the sky line behind this peaceful scene. Each one had spots of white at the top, which the boy could only guess that it was snow. The word felt foreign in his mind and he smiled. It had only been a day since he left home and already the new adventures this land promised was overwhelming. "This is where we belong." He spoke softly to his mare, his only companion. The large horse whinnied in reply and the young man smiled and closed his eyes, great full for the cool breeze on his skin.

The mare whinnied again, this time louder. She shuffled back and forth, tearing up the soft dirt beneath her hooves. The young man rubbed her side, trying to calm her. He spoke in a gentle tone, "Epona? Hey calm down girl. What's wrong?" his answer came in a loud snap coming from a group of trees adjacent to the pond. Epona leaped back on her hind legs just as a giant monster came running out in to the clearing. "EPONA GO!" the young man shouted and urged on his mare in the opposite direction. Epona charged up the steep hill behind them and continued into the woods. The young man had complete trust in his steed and let her instincts lead them away from the beast.

He turned on the saddle to try and get a look at what was attacking them. It was large, huge in fact with multiple legs that moved with incredible speed. "Keep going, girl. We're losing it!" thought the thing was fast, Epona was leaving it in the dust until her rider couldn't see it anymore. The two continue their breakneck speed and headed towards a wooden bridge. The young man's relief was ripped away as the monster skidded out from the surrounding woods and tumbled into the river. It used two of its spider-like legs to crush the bridge and their only way out.

Epona neighed in distress, her hooves carving into the remaining wood as she skidded to a stop. "Time to end this!" the young man shouted. With one swift motion, he tore the cloak from his back and took up the bow strapped to his saddle. Epona leaped to her hind legs once again and the young man took to the offensive. He leaped off his horses back and loaded an arrow into his bow. He pulled a trigger on the arrows tip that ignited a type of magical energy. He let the arrow fly.

It landed with a thud in the center of the beast, right in what appeared to be its eye. The beast sprang back from the man and his horse. It reached up with its multiple arms and tried to force the arrow out, but it was too late. Whatever energy stored within the weapon had finally been released. It appeared as though tiny bolts of lightning were raging throughout the beast as it convulsed and squirmed on in the shallow river.

The young man watched until the beast stopped moving. He slowly walked up to the giant corpse to retrieve his arrow. He climbed on top of the beast and yanked the shaft out. Just then he, heard a gasp. He turned quickly towards the sound, an arrow already draw. What he saw was more shocking than a monster. A tiny girl stood at the opposite bank, her wide eyes staring directly at the now dead beast. The young man quickly put away his weapons and jumped off the carcass. As he splashed into the water, the little girl's attention shifted. She stared at him, her eyes growing even larger. Her little voice was full of awe.

"You- you're a hero, mister!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Mama! Mama! Looky look! It's a hero!"

The little girl jumped and squealed, her little hands flailing at her side. The young man's cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he quickly made his way back to his horse. Another figure wandered out of the trees and joined the little girl on the opposite river bank.

"Kuli! I told you not to run off! You could have gotten hurt- Oh my! What is that!" the woman gasped at the dead monster. "Honey! Get over here, now!" A portly man fell out of a nearby bush.

"Wha-? What's going on? What is that!" he stuttered. He shuffled over to his family, wrapping a protective arm around the two of them. "Kuli you shouldn't have run off, you know all the dangerous things these woods- you could have been squished, or eaten, or poisoned or-"

"That's enough, dear. You've made your point." The woman sighed. "Now, what on earth happened to this- this monster…"

"The hero beat it!" little Kuli squeaked. Just then, all three set of eyes landed on the young man. He had been trying, and almost succeed in sneaking away from the scene. "Mr. Hero! Where you going!"

He guiltily turned around and sighed, "I guess nowhere… c'mon Epona." He led his mare back to the shallow waters of the river bank. He stopped close enough so they wouldn't have to shout to talk, but far enough away so the adults would feel comfortable. Already he could see their stances tense, the fathers grip on his daughter grow a little tighter. It was expected really. After all, he was a wild looking boy from the desert with monster blood spattered on his tunic. Not exactly the picture of trust.

"He did it. He stopped the monster!" Kuli explained.

"You're from the Great Desert aren't you?" The mother bluntly asked.

"Um- yeah- I mean, yes I am." He stammered.

"And you, defeated that thing?"

"He destroyed it, mama. With just one arrow!" Kuli was jumping up and down in excitement.

"Calm down child! Sorry, she's a very energetic girl." The mother smiled and seemed to release some of the tension she had been carrying. She turned back to the young man. "What's your name?"

"Well… I don't really have a name…"he began shuffling uncomfortably. His answer made the adults go quite. Kuli on the other hand, took his answer as permission. She slipped out of her father's arms and marched into the shallow waters. She stopped right in front of the boy. She looked up at him and stared intently with her round eyes. She stared and stared, hardly moving all the while. The young man tried to keep eye contact, but eventually took to looking back at the water. Kuli finally smiled and let out a little giggle. She reached up and took his hand.

"You are Mr. Hero and that's what I'm gonna call you. C'mon!" she pulled with all her little might and lead the young man to her parents on the river bank. Epona followed closely behind the two. Kuli's mother smiled as he approached while her father seemed more interested in the hero's steed.

"Come with us, dear. You deserve a proper meal and some rest."

"And then the big monster crushed the bridge like a twig and Mr. Hero, that's him the guy with the pony tail, he whipped off his cape…" Little Kuli had been recounting the story of the beasts defeat to everyone in the forest village. The proclaimed 'Mr. Hero' was far from the chatter, removing the bags and saddle from Epona. He pulled out a thick brush from one of the packs and began grooming the mare's dark brown coat.

"We really need to get you another name, young man." Kuli's mother appeared behind Epona, carrying a basket full of fresh fruits. "Kuli is going around telling everyone that your name is Mr. Hero! That's hardly a proper name."

"Thank you, Meryll. I have to agree with that." The young man replied, taking the basket from the woman. "I'm hardly a hero." He took an apple from the basket and fed it to Epona. The horse whinnied happily and munched on her snack.

"I beg to differ young man. You may not look it, but I can tell you have a courageous heart. Although, taking on a beast like that your courage might actually just be foolishness. Now, how come you don't have a name! What kind of people were you raised with in that terrible desert?"

The young man shuffled his feet in the dirt. He wasn't used to being asked so many questions. "Well, I was raised by this, uh, tribe…" he glanced down at his boots. He knew the reputation of his adopted family wasn't exactly a good one. He had to choose his words carefully. "a uh, peaceful tribe of Gerudo…"

"Gerudo! Those thives! Now wonder you don't have a name, they're so rude!" Meryll stomped her foot on the ground, much like Kuli would.

"Well I did have lots of nick-names." He suddenly felt the urge to defend his friends.

"And those were…?"

"Uh, well… Tiny." He sighed. Saying it out load did make his family seem a little mean.

"Tiny?"

"And Squirt. Fluffy and sometimes Fairy Boy."

"Why Fluffy?" Meryll asked, genuinely curious.

"My hair gets really poufy in the mornings." Meryll laughed as the image began forming in her mind. The young man joined in, realizing that it truly was a funny name to be called. Kuli waved to them from her spot atop a rock.

"Mr. Hero! Mama! Come on, the village chief is back!"


	3. Chapter 3

"So, this is the one who defeat the Giagohma? Looks familiar…" The withered old man with a rather large moustache squinted at the young man, as if trying to read a fine print. "Must be my frail old mind playing tricks again. Now I am Aepora, the leader of this village. What is your name?"

The young man stammered, not knowing how to reply. Kuli jumped up and down behind him, her hand raised. Meryll grabbed her daughters hand and spoke up. "He doesn't have a name."

"Eh? What kind of hero of the story doesn't have a name?"

"Excuse me sir, but I'm no hero. I'm just a desert kid who ran away from the sand to see what else the world has to offer. Hardly a start to any great story if you ask me." It was longest the young man had spoken. Kuli, her mother, and the other villagers looked a little startled. No one honestly thought the young man knew how to speak in complete sentences, what with all the stuttering he normally did.

"Sounds like an interesting start to say the least." The old man replied. "About your aversion to being a hero, I have a feeling that will change with time. Now, come with me."

The young man hesitated. He had put his trust in Kuli and Meryll easily enough, and the rest of the villagers seemed friendly, but this old man seemed to rub him the wrong way. Maybe it was his voice or his demeanor, just something about him gave the boy the urge to ignore him. Either way, he felt like he was in for a very long and one-sided conversation. Older people loved to talk. Meryll nudged him forward and the young man reluctantly followed.

Aepora walked very slowly towards a rather large cabin. This structure rested in a more condense part of trees, well away from the little meadow where most of the villagers spent their time. The old man entered the dwelling and headed straight for a shelf lined with books. The young man stood just outside the door, not too eager to enter the dark room. Aepora shuffled back and forth, dusting off the spines of books until at last he found what he was looking for. He lifted a rather large book off the shelf and carried it to a nearby table. It landed with a puff of dust. It creaked open.

"Hmmm, now let's see, come here boy were going to find you a name." Aepora motioned for the young man to join him. This idea piqued his interest. He walked to the table in two long strides and looked over the old man's shoulder at the writing on the ancient pages. The young man had learned to read some while he was living the Gerudo, but the symbols on these pages were unlike anything he'd ever seen. "Now, which do you like?"

"Uh, I don't know what any of this means." He answered.

"Well I don't expect you too, foolish boy. This is an ancient language said to come from the sky dwellers! Hardly something your desert ladies would know anything about." Aepora stroked his moustache and flipped through some of the pages. "You see, this book is full of legends. Legends of this land that date back generations." He flipped further into the book.

"Wait, this writing looks different…" the boy commented.

"Aren't you a smart one. Yes this part is different because it's from a different time." Aepora stroked his mustache again, pausing for effect. "You can't expect the world to burn to a crisp, time and time again and keep the same language, now can you? Now, I want you to pick a word. Pick any word that pleases your eye and that shall be your name."

"Pleases my eye? Shouldn't a name be pleasing to the ear?"

"Technically yes, but that is not always the truth-"

"But what if I pick wrong?" The boy cut off the old man. "This book is full of stories, which means there are tons more than just names. What if I pick a word that means- I don't know- fish or something…?"

"Then we will all call you Fish and laugh at you from a distance. Now, stop stalling boy and pick!" Aepora shoved the young man, his thighs hitting the table with enough force to cause a bruise. The young man rubbed his legs, throwing a bit of a pout in the elder's direction. Aepora responded with an all-knowing, smug look and the young man took that a hint. He wasn't getting out of this building without playing along. Much as he found it ridiculous, the young man indulged the older one and began leafing thought the hefty pages. Firm in his doubt, whatever word he chose as his name would only be uttered in this village and this one alone. When the sun rose next morning, he and Epona would be well on their way to freedom. True freedom, not a life dedicated to the protection of others. In no way did he feel capable of keeping anyone safe. He was no hero.

All the foreign letters began to blur and became one jumbled mess of symbols that held no significance other than the space it took up on the page. Sensing Aepora's looming presence just over his shoulder, the young man began to slow his pace of turning the pages and attempted to appear interested. For no reason whatsoever, the young man suddenly stopped. Surprised at his own actions, he tilted his head slightly. His brow slowly rested in a crease as his eyes searched for some sort of sign. Why did he stop? Was this what the old man expected?

His fierce eyes poured over each ancient symbol, desperately trying to see a reason why. Why he felt a great answer was waiting on this page. After an hour-long minute had passed, the frustrated young man pointed to one word on the page, "That one. I don't care anymore."

"So you've decided?" Aepora asked.

"Yes. That's what I said, that one." He stabbed the page harder with his index finger. "Just call me Fish…"

"I can if you want another nickname, but do you want to know your real name?"

"It can't be any worse…" he sighed.

"Link."

"Wha- what?"

"Your name. Link. It's a pretty good choice, considering all the bad ones you could have chosen. Just one more line down the page and we would have been calling you Pig." Aepora chuckled to himself, but the young man just stared down at the long dry ink. A feeling spread over him, one he had never fully understood.

"Li- Link." The word felt comfortable on his tongue, like he'd been saying it all his life. "My name is Link." The young man smiled as that feeling became real. He was his own person. Not a runt picked up in the sand by Gerudo, not the lousy shot who only really talked to horses. He was Link, the traveler and occasional monster slayer. He had a name and with it, a new beginning.

"So, _Link_," Aepora clapped his hand on the younger man's back. "What do think of your new name?"

"I think- well, I think it suits me." He smiled, feeling ridiculously giddy.

"We shall see."


	4. Chapter 4

That evening, the little forest village held a grand feast. The newly dubbed Link did his part to help prepare the food, but was quickly pushed aside.

"You are our guest of honor Link! We're not going to make you work." Meryll led him outside her small kitchen. Kuli was running in a circle outside and spotted the young man.

"Mr. Hero! You can come and play with me!" Kuli ran up to Link and latched on to his arm. Meryl waved and laughed as her daughter dragged Link to the other children. After letting each of the kids sit on Eponas back twice, dinner was ready. Every table and chair in the village was maneuvered out of their houses and set in the village center. The tables were set with mismatching plates and cutlery, and in the center were large baskets of bread and pitchers of water. Plates upon plates of food were carted out of Meryll's kitchen as well as other houses around the village. Once everything had been placed on a table, Aepora stood on top of his chair.

"Everyone let us feast! Mainly for us, but also for this young man, who defeated a great threat to our village. Now Link, you may not see yourself as a hero but today, to this tiny hovel tucked away in the woods, you are our hero. Here's to Link! Thank the goddesses he didn't pick the name Fish!" Aepora let loose a hearty laugh before taking a long swig out of his mug. The rest of the villagers did the same, sneaking glances at Link. The young man however took to staring deeply into his mug, his cheeks taking on a deep red.

The rest of the feast was void of Link's least favorite phrase ( "Hero!"). As the sun set, the men went to work building a bon fire. Its flames rose high into the night, looking as though they might singe the moon. After sometime, the children began falling asleep one by one. It came as no surprise to the young man to see Kuli fight to stay awake the longest. While she was carried to her bed by her father, Link slipped away to a soft grassy spot well away from the dwindling party and all its light. The village lay out before him and it truly looked like it was carved into the forest. A little forest hovel. He sat on the ground, his limbs sprawled out around him. His bright blue eyes glowed under the soft moonlight.

"Would you like a blanket?" Link sat up with a start.

"Wha-! Oh, Meryll, it's you. You kind of startled me." He smiled sheepishly.

"I should have made myself known. Here." She handed him a bundle. "I had a feeling you would prefer sleeping outside. You seem like one of the nature lovers."

"Uh…"

"Don't worry it's not a bad thing, you silly boy. Good night Link. Be sure to say good bye before you leave tomorrow."

"How do you know I'm leaving?" He tilted his head, confused.

"Call it a mother's intuition." Meryll smiled a mother's smile. The one where you're certain she knows all the secrets in the world. Link felt an immense comfort in that small smile. It brought back happy memories of someone very close to his heart. He watched with a curious eye as Meryll made her way back to her home. The door was wide open with a sleepy Kuli standing in the doorway, having wondered out of bed. She ushered her daughter back inside and shut the door. Link draped the blanket over him, savoring its warmth and fell asleep underneath the brilliant stars.

Being a heavy sleeper, it was only after the first explosion that he woke up.

Link was immediately on his feet, his body reacting faster than his mind. Sleep fogged his eye and for a split second, he thought he was dreaming. Reality sunk in when heard Kuli screaming.

"LET ME GO YOU BIG MEANIE! MAMA! PAPA! HELP!"

Link eyes widened as he took in the sight. Kuli was being held captive in the long spider-like arms of a familiar monster. Without a second thought, Link raced to his saddle bags and armed himself with a quiver full of explosive arrows and his bow. He attached the arsenal to his belt and took off towards Kuli.

"MR. HERO! Kuli had spotted Link running to her and began waving her little arms in the air.

"I'm coming, Kuli! Hold on!" Link shouted.

"NO! LOOK OUT! IT'S BEHIND YOU! A MONSTER!" Kuli's warning came a second too late. Link's legs were thrust out from under him and he fell face first into the soft grass. The bow he'd been carrying landed out of reach a ways in front of him. Link's vision spotted, giving him no time to react as he was lifted into the air by the arm of another Giagohma monster. Link cursed as the arrows poured out of his quiver, landing in pile on the ground. The giant spider lifted the young man higher and higher until the two were eye level. Link squirmed against the monsters tight grip on his leg, trying to pry himself free. The spider's single eye focused and refocused on the young man. Link stared back as bravely as he could. Then his arm bumped against his quiver, where a single arrow still sat. He grasped the arrow tight in his hand.

The Giagohma was still focusing, inching him closer and closer, it's giant blue eye on the young man as if trying to identify what it had caught. All the sudden an inhuman cry rang out behind Link. The spider became distracted, its eye focusing behind its prey. Link took the offensive.

Taking advantage of how close he was to the monster, Link swung himself forward and grabbed on to its eye lid. The giant eye re-fixed it's self on Link, but it was too late. Using the arrow as a spear, Link plunged the bomb arrow deep into the Giagohma's eye. The monster cried out in pain, untangling its arm from Link and dropping him to the ground. Just as he landed, the powders in the bomb arrows finally met, causing the spider's eye to burst open. It stood perfectly still for just a moment before crashing to the ground. Link covered his eyes as mounds of dirt and dust puffed into to the air, raining down on him.

"Mr. Hero, you're okay!" Link sat up and was surprised to see Kuli standing behind him. She looked a little roughed up but besides a small cut on her lip she seemed to be in good shape.

"Kuli? But, how did you escape the spider?" the young man asked.

"Big brother Midon helped me." Kuli smiled and turned around. Confused, Link followed her gaze. Standing be the remains of the first Giagohma was a young man Link had never seen before. He had dusty brown hair, exactly like Kuli's and was holding a long broad sword. Midon turned to Link and Kuli.

"Stay here Kuli and don't wonder off. I'm going after the others. And you," Midon's hard stare startled Link, "don't let anything bad happen to my little sister." Without another word, Midon took off toward the village center where more monsters were writhing.

"Go get 'em big brother!" Kuli jumped up and down excitedly. "That's my big brother, just back from his trip to the castle town! He'll clean up this mess in no time!" Link smiled back at the little girl, but inside he felt a little worried. From their spot on the outskirts of the village, Link could see four other larger Giagohmas and dozens of other small creatures running around. Most of the other villagers were fighting off the little ones well enough, Midon was tearing through them, but the bigger spiders were causing terrible destruction. Link's hand curled into a fist as his sensitive Hylian ears picked up on each little cry of distress. He turned away and instead took to collecting his scattered arrows and bow. Every nerve in his body was edging him to run into the fray, to protect all those that had been so kind to him, but Midon's request left him on the side lines. If only he could ensure Kuli's safety…

"Link! What are you doing babysitting at a time like this! You should be helping!" Link spun around to face the voice.

"Aepora! Am I glad to see you!" a great sense of relief filled the young man seeing Aepora shuffle straight towards them. He quickly shouldered his bow and hurried Kuli to the old man.

"After I gave you a name and everything, the least you could do is help-"

"Watch Kuli! I'm going to help Midon!" Link didn't wait to hear the old man respond before taking off to the village center.

As he approached the nearest house, one of the Giagohma's spotted him and began charging. Link ran even faster towards the spider, pulling his bow off his shoulder. His eyes darted to the house where a cart was parked at its side. He then got a crazy idea. Link took three long strides to the cart and leaped onto its thin edge. With all his momentum pushing him forward, he leaped again and tumbled on to the roof. The giant spider was only a few feet from the house. Link recovered quickly and drew an arrow. In a feat of ridiculous courage, Link leap a third time. The spider reared back, surprised at the archer flying towards it. Link let his arrow fly and it landed in the spiders sensitive eye. The beast roar for only a second before an explosion silenced it. Link tucked his head in and rolled on the hard dirt.

"Looks like I've become an expert on killing these things." Link smiled a bit and continued on to find Midon.


	5. Chapter 5

*Sorry this took so long! I was a little busy last month with NaNoWriMo. I'll be updating more frequently now :) Now on to the adventure!*

* * *

><p>Midon dived to the ground just in time as the largest of the spiders swung its arm in the space where he stood. The monster reared on its back legs and prepared to crush him with its overwhelming mass. In seconds, the young warrior was blanketed in the shadow of the beast. Midon scrambled to his feet and tried to escape, but there wasn't enough time. The thing was just too big. <em>This thing is going to crush me! Well I won't go down without taking it with me! <em>Midon flipped onto his back, his sword raised hoping the spider would stab itself. He closed his eyes and waited for the end. The end didn't come.

An arrow ricochet off the large body and another planted itself inside the beast's eye. A second later, it exploded and set the beast staggering backwards until it finally fell. Midon stared dumbfounded at the carcass trying to make sense as to why he wasn't dead too.

"Hey! You alright?" A voice came up behind him. Midon quickly spun around and to his surprise it was the long eared kid from earlier.

"You? You're supposed to be watching my sister!" Midon stood and strode over the boy in a rush.

"She's fine! Aepora is with her, besides it looks like you need my help even more." The boy strode over the monsters body and picked up the arrow that had missed from the ground. "C'mon, there's still one left." Without another word, he jogged off deeper into the village where one of the giant spiders still thrashed about.

With the two young men working together, it took no longer than a minute to overcome the last of the Giagohmas. Without their leaders, all the smaller creatures scurried out of the village in a rush. The two watched them leave, a sense of pride bubbling up in the both of them.

"BIG BROTHER! MR. HERO! YOU'RE OKAY!" Little Kuli was tearing across the battle field, Aepora shuffling a fair distance behind her. Tears were streaming down her face as she tackled Midon. He fell to the ground, cradling his little sister in his arms. Midon tried to calm the girl, but she just kept on crying. Aepora finally caught up.

"I told you to wait child…" he was wheezing heavily. "Oh bother, she won't listen to me any way… Link, Midon, are all the monsters gone?" Link nodded in response. "Good, now we need to search the village. Many of our people took refuge on at the same spot we did, but were still missing a fare few. Come Link, you and I will start at this end. Midon, you a Kuli take the other. We'll meet in the center."

Following the elders instructions, the two search parties combed the tiny village. Taking advantage of this alone time with his sister, Midon decided to get some answers about the young man he'd fought with.

"Kuli, who is that guy?" he asked, his sister still clutching on to neck.

Kuli sniffed and answered quietly. "That's Mr. Hero. He helped me mama and papa the other day at the stream. One of those big spider thingys was chasing him and he beat it all by his self. Then, old man Aepora gave him a real name. Everyone calls him Link now."

"One of those spiders was chasing him?" he asked again.

"Yup." Kuli's answer troubled him. If one spider had followed Link, maybe the rest did too. Midon could feel his anger growing. This attack on his village was Link's fault, and he hoped for archer's sake that no one got hurt. Midon didn't think he could restraint himself of something bad had happened to a member of his village.

With Kuli finally calmed down and walking on her own, the siblings began shifting through the wreckage that was their village. Midon expected to at least hear people. Cries for help under the rubble, but there was nothing. The only sounds were that of slowly dying fires and Kuli's little footsteps. After hardly any time at all, Midon and Kuli were at the center of the village met by Link and Aepora not a minute later.

"Did you find anyone?" Link asked.

"No, you neither I assume." Midon responded. Link shook his head. "Aepora, how many people are on the edge of the village?"

"Nearly fifty." The old man responded with disheartened sigh.

"Fifty!? But that's only half of the village! Where are the rest of them?"

"I don't know, boy. I was hoping to find more here, but no luck." Aepora and Midon shared worried looks.

"Let's go back." Link suggested. Midon shot the young man an angry look, but Link didn't seem to notice. He continued. "The villagers wouldn't have all fled to the same place. They would have scattered. There's probably more people there now." His logic did make sense, but Midon still didn't want to go along with any ideas from this outsider. Aepora agreed with Link and lead their small group the edge of the village.

Back on the edge of the village, another twenty or so of the villagers had gathered. Midon and Kuli's father rushed to his children and pulled them in a tight embrace. Meryll was still nowhere in sight. Aepora called everyone together and took a count. Every name was taken down, counted and recounted. A total of 77 people were accounted for.

"23 people are missing…" Aepora groaned. Midon glared at Link who stood close besides the old man. After a few moments of thought Aepora spoke again. "Midon, Link. I want to two to search the tree rim. Perhaps some people got hurt and hide in the trees…"

Link immediately obliged the old man, hanging his bow in his shoulder and turned towards the village once more.

"No." Midon spoke very firmly. Both Aepora and Link turned to the young man surprised. Even Kuli. Who had taken to sitting with the rest of the children wondered over.

"Midon what do you mean? Come now, this is no time for a temper tantrum-"

"I won't go anywhere with this outsider." Midon cut off the old man. Aepora looked shocked at his outburst. "This is allhis fault!"

"Now don't go blaming Link! if it wasn't for him you might be dead!"

"Yeah well if I wasn't for him those things never would have found this village!"

"You don't know that Midon. None of us do! Those creatures could have been planning to come here all along."

"Right, right, but you see I just don't buy that." Midon was shivering with anger. He pulled out his sword and pointed it straight at Link. "Those things were following him. I'd bet my sword! Kuli told me, about the first day you all met him. One of things was following him. By letting him come here, you led them al straight to us!"

Midon charged at Link, his sword aimed to cleave off his head. Aepora stepped in with surprising speed, knocking away Midon's sword with his long walking stick. The old man stood firmly in front of Link, protecting him from Midon's rage.

"Why are you protecting him! He's a-"

"He is just a boy, much like yourself!" Aepora shouted at the young man. "No you have no right to take this out on Link. He has defended this village twice now, wanting nothing in return. You should be thanking him for defending you family while you were away!" Midon flinched at Aepora's words, trying to ignore the true in them. All the while, Link was staring at the altercation in front of him with an unfortunate feeling of familiarity. The last time he was in the middle of a fight like this, he left home. It as though history was going to repeat itself.

"Aepora." Link finally spoke. Everyone turned to him, eager to hear what the hero had to say. "Midon is right. It is my fault."

"Link- no you mustn't…"

"I'm afraid I must." Link stopped the old man and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for giving me a name and welcoming me to your village. I-I am sorry to have caused this."

Link strode pass the surprised Midon to Kuli. She latched on to the bottom of his tunic. He knelt down to her level and gave her a hug. A few tears leaked onto his sleeve before he could pull away. Link stood once more and pulled a small wooden whistle out from under his shirt. He played a short melody and not a second later, Epona came trotting out from the trees. The villagers all watched in silence as the young archer climb atop his mare and prepared to leave them. He spoke again without looking up from Epona's mane.

"I am responsible for this, and for that I have to go. But I also have to make this right. I will find the ones who are missing. I won't return until I do." Without another word, Link ushered Epona forward and the two went rushing after the smaller monsters that had escaped.


End file.
